diff --git a/backends-python.js b/backends/python.js
similarity index 92%
rename from backends-python.js
rename to backends/python.js
index 70498b0..4fc1bc9 100644
--- a/backends-python.js
+++ b/backends/python.js
@@ -3,11 +3,12 @@
 var PromiseA = require('bluebird');
 var fs = PromiseA.promisifyAll(require('fs'));
 
-module.exports.create = function (leBinPath, defaults, opts) {
+module.exports.create = function (defaults, opts) {
   defaults.webroot = true;
   defaults.renewByDefault = true;
   defaults.text = true;
 
+  var leBinPath = defaults.pythonClientPath;
   var LEP = require('letsencrypt-python');
   var lep = PromiseA.promisifyAll(LEP.create(leBinPath, opts));
   var wrapped = {
diff --git a/examples/commandline.js b/examples/commandline.js
index deb0c1a..3ee6925 100644
--- a/examples/commandline.js
+++ b/examples/commandline.js
@@ -23,27 +23,28 @@ var bkDefaults = {
 , fullchainTpl: '/live/:hostname/fullchain.pem'
 , privkeyTpl: '/live/:hostname/privkey.pem'
 , configDir: path.join(__dirname, '..', 'tests', 'letsencrypt.config')
+, server: LE.stagingServer
+
+// backend-specific
 , logsDir: path.join(__dirname, '..', 'tests', 'letsencrypt.logs')
 , workDir: path.join(__dirname, '..', 'tests', 'letsencrypt.work')
-, server: LE.stagingServer
 , text: true
+, pythonClientPath: require('os').homedir() + '/.local/share/letsencrypt/bin/letsencrypt'
 };
 
-var leBinPath = require('os').homedir() + '/.local/share/letsencrypt/bin/letsencrypt';
-var LEB = require('../backends-python');
-var backend = LEB.create(leBinPath, bkDefaults, { debug: true });
+var LEP = require('../backends/python');
 
-var le = LE.create(backend, bkDefaults, {
+var le = LE.create(LEP, bkDefaults, {
 /*
   setChallenge: function (hostnames, key, value, cb) {
     // the python backend needs fs.watch implemented
     // before this would work (and even then it would be difficult)
   }
 , getChallenge: function (hostnames, key, cb) {
-    // 
+    //
   }
 , sniRegisterCallback: function (args, certInfo, cb) {
-    
+
   }
 , registrationFailureCallback: function (args, certInfo, cb) {
     what do to when a backgrounded registration fails
diff --git a/examples/config-minimal.js b/examples/config-minimal.js
index 5caa94b..2a88cb9 100644
--- a/examples/config-minimal.js
+++ b/examples/config-minimal.js
@@ -21,11 +21,12 @@ var config = {
     // these are specific to the python client and won't be needed with the purejs library
   , logsDir: path.join(__dirname, '..', 'tests', 'letsencrypt.logs')
   , workDir: path.join(__dirname, '..', 'tests', 'letsencrypt.work')
+  , pythonClientPath: binpath
   }
 
 };
 
-//config.backend = require('letsencrypt/backends-python').create(binpath, config.le);
-config.backend = require('../backends-python').create(binpath, config.le);
+//config.backend = require('letsencrypt/backends/python').create(binpath, config.le);
+config.backend = require('../backends/python');
 
 module.exports = config;
diff --git a/examples/express.js b/examples/express.js
index bf79abb..81ade0e 100644
--- a/examples/express.js
+++ b/examples/express.js
@@ -23,16 +23,17 @@ var bkDefaults = {
 , fullchainTpl: '/live/:hostname/fullchain.pem'
 , privkeyTpl: '/live/:hostname/privkey.pem'
 , configDir: path.join(__dirname, '..', 'tests', 'letsencrypt.config')
+, server: LE.stagingServer
+
+// python-specific
 , logsDir: path.join(__dirname, '..', 'tests', 'letsencrypt.logs')
 , workDir: path.join(__dirname, '..', 'tests', 'letsencrypt.work')
-, server: LE.stagingServer
+, pythonClientPath: require('os').homedir() + '/.local/share/letsencrypt/bin/letsencrypt'
 };
 
-var leBinPath = require('os').homedir() + '/.local/share/letsencrypt/bin/letsencrypt';
-var LEB = require('../backends-python');
-var backend = LEB.create(leBinPath, bkDefaults, { debug: true });
+var LEP = require('../backends/python');
 
-var le = LE.create(backend, bkDefaults, {
+var le = LE.create(LEP, bkDefaults, {
   sniRegisterCallback: function (args, certInfo, cb) {
     var allowedDomains = conf.domains; // require('../tests/config').allowedDomains;
 
@@ -62,7 +63,7 @@ var le = LE.create(backend, bkDefaults, {
     // before this would work (and even then it would be difficult)
   }
 , getChallenge: function (hostnames, key, cb) {
-    // 
+    //
   }
 , registrationFailureCallback: function (args, certInfo, cb) {
     what do to when a backgrounded registration fails
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 96c6c8e..5c6d3c1 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -5,11 +5,15 @@
 var PromiseA = require('bluebird');
 var crypto = require('crypto');
 var tls = require('tls');
+var path = require('path');
 
 var LE = module.exports;
 
 LE.liveServer = "https://acme-v01.api.letsencrypt.org/directory";
 LE.stagingServer = "https://acme-staging.api.letsencrypt.org/directory";
+LE.configDir = "/etc/letsencrypt/";
+LE.logsDir = "/var/log/letsencrypt/";
+LE.workDir = "/var/lib/letsencrypt/";
 
 LE.merge = function merge(defaults, args) {
   var copy = {};
@@ -25,6 +29,18 @@ LE.merge = function merge(defaults, args) {
 };
 
 LE.create = function (backend, defaults, handlers) {
+  if ('function' === typeof backend.create) {
+    backend.create(defaults, handlers);
+  }
+  else if ('string' === typeof backend) {
+    // TODO I'll probably regret this
+    // I don't like dynamic requires because they cause build / minification issues.
+    backend = require(path.join('backends', backend)).create(defaults, handlers);
+  }
+  else {
+    // ignore
+    // this backend was created the v1.0.0 way
+  }
   if (!handlers) { handlers = {}; }
   if (!handlers.lifetime) { handlers.lifetime = 90 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000; }
   if (!handlers.renewWithin) { handlers.renewWithin = 3 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000; }
@@ -73,7 +89,7 @@ LE.create = function (backend, defaults, handlers) {
           //, ciphers         // node's defaults are great
           });
         }
-        
+
         cb(null, cache.context);
       }
 
diff --git a/pyconf.js b/lib/pyconf.js
similarity index 100%
rename from pyconf.js
rename to lib/pyconf.js
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 6c38b64..11d0f9b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -33,9 +33,16 @@
     "express": "^4.13.3",
     "localhost.daplie.com-certificates": "^1.1.2"
   },
+  "optionalDependencies": {
+    "letsencrypt-python": "^1.0.3",
+    "letsencrypt-forge": "file:letsencrypt-forge",
+    "letsencrypt-ursa": "file:letsencrypt-ursa",
+    "node-forge": "^0.6.38",
+    "ursa": "^0.9.1"
+    "letiny": "0.0.4-beta",
+  },
   "dependencies": {
     "bluebird": "^3.0.6",
-    "letsencrypt-python": "^1.0.3",
-    "serve-static": "^1.10.0"
+    "serve-static": "^1.10.0",
   }
 }